Fsh levels and estradiol. Need advice

[nuthinbutpink]

Antral follicles are the small follickes present the beginning of each month that represent a potential egg for recruitment. 3 is very low. For IVF, you usually want 10-15 eggs retrieved. You DO only need one good egg each month though and your body does a better job of selecting the RIGHT one each month. IVF is all artificial and eggs are recruited using medication.

With a FSH of 15 a few years ago, it may be harder to conceive now that it's a few years of aging fertility OR maybe that is just you and your body's norm. You got pregnant last time with that FSH do that's proof you can do it again.

FSH is a number that shows quality and quantity and AMH does the same. AMH can be done any day of the month.

FSH norm- under 10
AFC norm 10-15 total
AMH norm- over .75

At 40, all of this is expected though. It's not always easy to conceive at 40 so there's nothing "wrong" with you. It's just trying to get pregnant at 40.

[nuthinbutpink]

Oh and estradiol need to be under 75. If it is over and too high, it can falsely suppress your FSH. That's not the case with you. It doesn't really tell us anything about the eggs.

[Trishy74]

Thank you for the info. Appreciate it. I'm getting a positive lh surge each month. I have one now but was told with the hsg to wait 48 hours so that's not until tomorrow afternoon. However just wondering would a high fsh interfere with lh surge? Also would eating healthier or taking any supps help with anything with the fsh?

Oh and apparently 3 years ago my fsh was normal. I think bc my prolactin levels were high when I had that ultrasound done that caused only 3 follicles. Not sure though.

[Trishy74]

Bumping in hopes AS or NBP can tell me if eating a better diet or taking any supps can help my egg quality.

Also I'm bbt charting and I'm getting the thermal shift each month. Is this still normal with elevated fsh levels? And still get the lh surge as well on positive opk for 48 hours. Just wondering if this is all still typical with elevated fsh levels. I'm going to request amh levels to be checked as well. I noticed that since doing the le diet my period cycle has gone from 28 or 29 days to 26 days. Which I thought was a good sign for a girl but I'm thinking now its bc if my fsh levels bc I read online that this is a symptom of elevated levels. Wondering if I should change my diet for my fertility now. I'd hate to think I messed it up more bc of eating white carbs and refined sugars a lot more than I used to. Also I was taking levaquin for a uti when I had the blood drawn. Anyone know if that would cause false results with fsh? Just wondering. Thanks in advance for all your help.

[nuthinbutpink]

The issue is egg quality. You may be ovulating every month like normal but your FSH level indicated diminished quality. AMH will be a better indicator of quality but the elevated FSH is what's likely causing it to take longer to conceive just like it did before.

I don't think swaying and what you're dealing with mix. You should be as healthy as possible and DTD every other day around ovulation to try and catch the one good egg.

I took DHEA to help with quality. It helped me. I had bad pretesting too. DHEA helped me. Here is the link to the info about it - DHEA and Fertility :: CHR

[Trishy74]

Thanks again for the info. I was looking online and saw coenzyme q10 helps with this. I'm going to ask my dr about that as well as dhea. However I just looked back at my bloods from 2010 before I conceived ds and my fsh bsck then was a 4.51. It's just amazing how much its jumped in 3 years. My gyno is just a gyno not a re so I'm wondering if I ask him all these questions if he will send me to a specialist. I hate to question his expertise by asking all these questions but I need to know.

So you recommend I start taking a prenatal again? I stopped back in sept when I found this site. I'm thinking if maybe going back to my normal eating bit maybe still skip breakfast. Not sure if that would do anything though. Id love a girl but at this point I just want a healthy baby.

The issue is egg quality. You may be ovulating every month like normal but your FSH level indicated diminished quality. AMH will be a better indicator of quality but the elevated FSH is what's likely causing it to take longer to conceive just like it did before.

I don't think swaying and what you're dealing with mix. You should be as healthy as possible and DTD every other day around ovulation to try and catch the one good egg.

I took DHEA to help with quality. It helped me. I had bad pretesting too. DHEA helped me. Here is the link to the info about it - DHEA and Fertility :: CHR

[nuthinbutpink]

What day of your cycle was the 15 and the AFC of 3?

[Trishy74]

The fsh this time was cycle day 3 I'm assuming. I started to spot the night before my full flow but the spitting had totally stopped overnight and once I got the full flow I counted that as day 1 instead of the spotting I got the night before as day 1. So I'm assuming I did that right? The spotting was bright red blood not brown. I thought I read online to start counting cycle day 1 as the full flow day. Was I incorrect to do so?

When I had the AFC done 3 years ago it was the sane thing the night I stated to spot and period started full flow the following day. So not sure if you'd consider that luteal phase still or the beginning if the follicle phase.

Oh and my fsh levels 3 years ago where I got the 4.51 were taken the the same night my AFC was done. So not day 3 back then.

What day of your cycle was the 15 and the AFC of 3?

[nuthinbutpink]

Well, FSH can and does bounce around. Fertility doctors "judge" you by your worst number though. You may be able to get clomid prescribed if your doctor thinks it could help! Go see a fertility doctor. It's only been 4 months TTC though? Knowing it took 10 months last time and you are 3 years older, of you want help now, just make the call!

[Trishy74]

Yes it took 10 mos three years ago and that's why I'm pushing my dr to do these tests. I figure if nothing this month and next mos then I plan on going to re dr. I just don't have the time to waste bc if my age. And being my history of how long it took last time it makes me nervous. Thanks for your help. Appreciate it.

Well, FSH can and does bounce around. Fertility doctors "judge" you by your worst number though. You may be able to get clomid prescribed if your doctor thinks it could help! Go see a fertility doctor. It's only been 4 months TTC though? Knowing it took 10 months last time and you are 3 years older, of you want help now, just make the call!